1. Rank Size Rule And Primate Cities
IB Geography

2. Objective
To understand the Rank Size Rule and Primate Cities as they apply to urban environments.
To prepare and take an IB Exam Style Question using knowledge gained about Rank Size Rule and Primate Cities

3. Rank Size Rule
This is an attempt to find a numerical relationship between population size of settlements within an area such as a country

4. Assumptions in Rank Size Rule
Cities in a country are ranked according to their size in relation to the country’s largest city
Rank 1 – Largest City
Rank 2 – 1⁄2 the number of people as Rank 1 city
Rank 3 – 1/3 the number of people as Rank 1 city
Rank 4 – 1⁄4 the number of people as Rank 1 city
Rank 5 – 1/5 the number of people as Rank 1 city

5. Example The largest city has a population of 1,000,000
The 2nd largest city: 1,000,000/2= 500,000
The 3rd city: 1,000,000/3= 333,333
The 4th city: 1,000,000/4= 250,000
And so on….

6. Formula This allows us to express the rank size rule as:
Pn= Pl /n (or R)
Pn= The population of the City
Pl= The population of the largest city
N (or R)= The rank size of the city

7. Rank Size Rule in Germany

8. Problems with Rank Size Rule
In some countries the differences between a First Ranked and a Second Ranked city was much less than expected
– Ex. New York City is only 1.3 times larger than Los Angeles
Some countries are dominated by Primate cities so the changes are larger than expected – Ex. Kinshasa (DRC) is 8 times larger than the next largest city Lubumbashi

9. Primate City
The largest city within a nation which dominates the country not solely in size – being more than twice as large as the second city – but also it terms of influence
“The primate city is commonly at least twice as large as the next largest city and more than twice as significant.”
- Mark Jefferson, (geographer) 1939

10. Examples of Primate Cities
Paris, at a population of 9.6 million is definitely the focus of France, while Marseilles has a population of 1.3 million.
In the United Kingdom the city of London has a population of 7 million while the second largest city, Birmingham only has around one million people.
Mexico City, Mexico has a population of 8.6 million (about 22 million in the agglomeration) while Guadalajara is only about 1/4th the size at 1.6 million.

11. Advantages and Disadvantages of Primate Cities
Magnetic attraction for businesses, services and people
Can attract international trade and business
Centralize transportation and communication
Enhanced flow of ideas and information among larger populations
Disadvantages
Urban-rural inequalities
Imbalance in development
Concentration of Power
Has a parasitic effect, sucking wealth, natural and human resources into city.
Become centers for unemployment, crime, pollution

12. Bangkok: The Classic Primate City
Over 40x larger than any other city in Thailand
Political, Financial, Cultural, Communication center of Thailand (over 5 million)
– Much of economy of rural Thailand is in support of Bangkok

13. Thailand’s Largest Cities

14. Problems in Bangkok
Flooding • Garbage/Human Waste • Transportation • Recreation Spaces • Pollution • Poor Planning • Finance • Conflicting demands • Rapid urbanization/slums

15. Bangkok’s Dominance In Thailand...
– 80% of phones are registered to Bangkok Addresses
– 79% of all pharmacists are located in Bangkok
- 45% of Doctors are located in Bangkok – 72% of all registered cars are in Bangkok

16. Work in partners to practice what you have learned
Practice Slides

17. practice
If a country conforms to Rank Size Rule, fill in the population chart below:
City A 250,000
City B ? __________________
City C ? __________________
City D ? __________________
City E ? __________________

18. practice
If a country conforms to Rank Size Rule, fill in the population chart below:
City A ? __________________
City B ? __________________
City C ? __________________
City D ,200,000
City E ? __________________

19. Primate City or Rank Size Rule? Austria
Vienna 1,691,468
Linz-Wels-Steyr ,000
Graz ,326
Linz ,162
Salzburg ,269

20. Primate City or Rank Size Rule? Egypt
Cairo 7,734,614
Alexandria 3,811,516
Al Jīzah 2,443,203

21. Rank Size Rule or Primate City?
France 1 Paris 11,293,200 2 Lyon 1,665,700 3 Marseille 1,532,400 4 Toulouse 975,000 5 Nice 943,000

22. Rank Size Rule or Primate City?
England 1 London 7,172,091 2 Birmingham 970,892 3 Leeds 715,404 4 Glasgow 577,869 5 Sheffield 513,234

23. Rank Size Rule or Primate City?
Spain 1 Madrid 5,078,100 2 Barcelona 3,871,400 3 Valencia 1,406,600 4 Sevilla 1,135,600 5 Zaragoza 607,000

24. Rank Size Rule or Primate City?
Japan 1 Tokyo 8,027,500 2 Yokohama 3,552,300 3 Osaka 2,647,000 4 Nagoya 2,258,000 5 Sapporo 1,779,700

25. Rank Size Rule or Primate City?
South Korea Seoul 10,349,312 Pusan 3,678,555 Inch’ŏn 2,628,000 Taegu 2,566,540 Taejŏn 1,475,221

26. Rank Size Rule or Primate City?
Libya Tripoli 1,150,989 Banghāzī 650,629 Mişrātah 386,120 Tarhūnah 210,697 Al Khums 201,943